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Fragmentum In Lamentationes (In Catenis de Octateucho)

Origen · first1k

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machine-draft · no human review 3 passages · 477 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The Fragmentum In Lamentationes (In Catenis de Octateucho) is a short exegetical fragment attributed to Origen, surviving only in Byzantine catenae on the Octateuch. Its text is reconstructed from later compilations, introducing uncertainty about original wording and extent. The fragment likely derives from Origen's lost commentary on Lamentations, composed in the 3rd century CE. It was incorporated into catenae on the Octateuch, indicating its use in Byzantine exegetical collections. The fragment discusses ethical distinctions, possibly referencing Matthew 6:2 and Acts 8:3, and was later alluded to by Maximus Confessor. The original context, length, and Origen's full argument are lost.

The fragment provides a rare witness to Origen's exegesis of Lamentations, a work otherwise lost. It illustrates the catena tradition's role in preserving patristic fragments and shows how Origen's ethical teachings were excerpted for later Byzantine use. Its allusion by Maximus Confessor indicates its continued theological relevance.

Historical context

The fragment is attributed to Origen (c. 184–253 CE), a prolific Alexandrian theologian and exegete. It likely comes from his lost commentary on Lamentations, composed in the 3rd century CE in Alexandria or Caesarea. The work survives only in catenae on the Octateuch, compiled in Byzantine scriptoria from the 6th century onward. These catenae collected patristic exegesis on the first eight books of the Old Testament, often excerpting and rearranging passages. The fragment's inclusion in such a collection suggests it was valued for its ethical or allegorical insights, though its original context is lost. The catena lemma reference to Deuteronomy 16:20 is likely a later addition, as the fragment itself does not directly exegete that verse. The fragment's transmission is indirect, with no independent manuscript tradition, and its attribution to Origen rests on catena ascription and thematic consistency with his exegetical method.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

18 commentary units 6 transmission5 scripture2 background2 reception1 caution1 term1 structure 1 derived notes 5 open questions 3 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
  • registerRegister: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 3 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: first1k — CC BY-SA 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
tlg2042.tlg012:1 · narrativehigh
Source
Das Fragment aus der Oktateuchkatene. Ὠριγένους εἰς το αὐτὸ ἐκ τῶν εἰς τοὺς Θρήνους. Τίς γὰρ τὸ >δίκαιον οὐ δικαίως ; διαλαβόντες δὲ ἐκεῖνο, εὐχερῶς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦτο μετελευσόμεθα, ὅτι ἔστι δικαίως τὸ ἄδικον διώκειν. ἐξήγησις μὲν τοῦ δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκειν αὔτη, ἐπὰν καὶ τὸ πραττόμενον καθῆκον ᾖ, καὶ ὑγιεῖ διαθέσει ἐνεργῆται· ὡς εἴ τις σωφροσύνην δι’ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ δέ αὐτὴν κατορθώσαι, Ἰωσὴφ ἀναγέγραπται πεποιηκέναι. τοῦ δὲ ἀδίκως τὸ δίκαιον διώκειν ἡ σαφήνειά ἐστι τοιαύτη, ἐπὰν τὸ καθῆκον μέν τις ἐπιτελῇ, προθέσει δὲ μοχθηρᾷ, ὡς εἴ τις δόξαν τὴν παρ’ ἀνθρώποις θηρώμενος κοινωνήσαι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων πένησιν, ὅπερ ἀπαγορεύων ὁ σωτήρ φησιν· »ἐὰν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων«. τὸ δὲ δικαίως τὸ ἄδικον ποιεῖν νοηθείη ἄν, ὅταν προθέσει τὰ κρείττονα ποιεῖν τις προελόμενος παρ ἄγνοιαν τοῦ καλοῦ πράττῃ τὰ χείρονα· ὁποῖός ποτε γέγονε Παῦλος προδιδοὺς τὰς ἐκκλησίας κατὰ ζῆλον θεοσεβείας. ἀδίκως δὲ τὸ ἄδικον, ὅταν καὶ τὸ πραττόμενον ἄδικον ᾖ καὶ ἡ προαίρεσις κακοποιητίκη. 3 Vgl. Deut. 16, 20. — 12 Matth. 6, 2. - 17 Vgl. Act. 8, 3. 2 Überschrift z. B. im cod. Ven. Marc. gr. 534 saec. XI fol. 221v u. im Coisl. VI (Montfaucon Bibl. Coisl. p. 42). In der Oktateuchkatene wird das Fragment zu Deut. 16, 20 angeführt. Es ist zufällig dieselbe Stelle, auf welche Confessor zum 8. Brief des Dionysius Areopagita (ed. Cord. II, 316 D MPG 4, 549 B) anspielt, vgl.
English
Fragment from the Octateuch Catena. Origen on the same, from his commentary on Lamentations. For who would pursue justice unjustly? Having discussed that point, we will easily proceed to this one, that it is possible to pursue injustice justly. The explanation of pursuing justice justly is this: when the action is both fitting and performed with a sound disposition, as if someone were to achieve self-control for no other reason than for its own sake, as Joseph is recorded to have done. The meaning of pursuing justice unjustly is this: when someone performs a fitting action but with a base intention, as if someone, seeking glory among men, were to share his possessions with the poor, which the Savior forbids, saying: "If you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men." Doing injustice justly could be understood as when someone, having chosen to do better things with good intention, through ignorance of the good does the worse things, as was the case with Paul when he betrayed the churches out of zeal for piety. Doing injustice unjustly is when both the action is unjust and the intention is malicious.
tlg2042.tlg012:2 · narrativemedium
Source
Einleitung | 10 παρὰ ἀνθρώπων Ru | 11 κοινωνήσαι Blass Koetschau vgl. Z. 7 κοινωνήσει Ni | ὅπερ] ἅπερ Ru | 17 παραδιδοὺς Blass doch vgl. S. 14, 30 | εὐσεβείας Ni. Das Fragment aus der Oktateuchkatene. Ὠριγένους εἰς το αὐτὸ ἐκ τῶν εἰς τοὺς Θρήνους. Τίς γὰρ τὸ >δίκαιον οὐ δικαίως ; διαλαβόντες δὲ ἐκεῖνο, εὐχερῶς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦτο μετελευσόμεθα, ὅτι ἔστι δικαίως τὸ ἄδικον διώκειν. ἐξήγησις μὲν τοῦ δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκειν αὔτη, ἐπὰν καὶ τὸ πραττόμενον καθῆκον ᾖ, καὶ ὑγιεῖ διαθέσει ἐνεργῆται· ὡς εἴ τις σωφροσύνην δι’ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ δέ αὐτὴν κατορθώσαι, Ἰωσὴφ ἀναγέγραπται πεποιηκέναι. τοῦ δὲ ἀδίκως τὸ δίκαιον διώκειν ἡ σαφήνειά ἐστι τοιαύτη, ἐπὰν τὸ καθῆκον μέν τις ἐπιτελῇ, προθέσει δὲ μοχθηρᾷ, ὡς εἴ τις δόξαν τὴν παρ’ ἀνθρώποις θηρώμενος κοινωνήσαι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων πένησιν, ὅπερ ἀπαγορεύων ὁ σωτήρ φησιν· »ἐὰν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων«. τὸ δὲ δικαίως τὸ ἄδικον ποιεῖν νοηθείη ἄν, ὅταν προθέσει τὰ κρείττονα ποιεῖν τις προελόμενος παρ ἄγνοιαν τοῦ καλοῦ πράττῃ τὰ χείρονα· ὁποῖός ποτε γέγονε Παῦλος προδιδοὺς τὰς ἐκκλησίας κατὰ ζῆλον θεοσεβείας. ἀδίκως δὲ τὸ ἄδικον, ὅταν καὶ τὸ πραττόμενον ἄδικον ᾖ καὶ ἡ προαίρεσις κακοποιητίκη. 3 Vgl. Deut. 16, 20. — 12 Matth. 6, 2. - 17 Vgl. Act. 8, 3. 2 Überschrift z. B. im cod. Ven. Marc. gr. 534 saec. XI fol. 221v u. im Coisl. VI (Montfaucon Bibl. Coisl. p. 42). In der Oktateuchkatene wird das Fragment zu Deut. 16, 20 angeführt.
English
Fragment from the Octateuch Catena. Origen on the same, from his commentary on Lamentations. For who would pursue justice unjustly? Having discussed that point, we will easily proceed to this one, that it is possible to pursue injustice justly. The explanation of pursuing justice justly is this: when the action is both a duty and is performed with a sound disposition, as if someone were to achieve self-control for no other reason than for its own sake, as Joseph is recorded to have done. The clarity of pursuing justice unjustly is of this kind: when someone performs a duty but with a base intention, as if someone, seeking glory among men, were to share his possessions with the poor, which the Savior forbids, saying, “If you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men.” Doing injustice justly could be understood when someone, having chosen to do better things, through ignorance of the good does the worse things, as was the case with Paul when he betrayed the churches out of zeal for piety. But doing injustice unjustly is when both the action is unjust and the intention is malicious.
tlg2042.tlg012:3 · narrativelow
Source
Es ist zufällig dieselbe Stelle, auf welche Confessor zum 8. Brief des Dionysius Areopagita (ed. Cord. II, 316 D MPG 4, 549 B) anspielt, vgl. Einleitung | 10 παρὰ ἀνθρώπων Ru | 11 κοινωνήσαι Blass Koetschau vgl. Z. 7 κοινωνήσει Ni | ὅπερ] ἅπερ Ru | 17 παραδιδοὺς Blass doch vgl. S. 14, 30 | εὐσεβείας Ni.
English
It is by chance the same passage to which the Confessor alludes in his eighth letter of Dionysius the Areopagite (ed. Cord. II, 316 D MPG 4, 549 B); see the introduction. From men. To have fellowship. Blass, Koetschau; see line 7: will have fellowship. Ni. Which things. Ru. Handing down. Blass; yet see p. 14, line 30. Of piety. Ni.
Citation. Tergwame, “Fragmentum In Lamentationes (In Catenis de Octateucho)”, tlg2042.tlg012:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/tlg2042.tlg012#s1
Colophon. Source: first1k · licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0019 · generated 2026-11-15.